KEFALONIA ISLAND

The island of Kefalonia in Greece is truly a gem that charms all who come to spend their holidays here.
Kefalonia is a very big island and for this reason it's able to satisfy every kind of tourist, from the most active, to those who dream of a relaxing stay.
Kefalonia will make special your stay in Greece, fascinating you with its clear sea with wonderful colors, with its hidden coves, its caves, its picturesque villages and its breathtaking views.
Here in Kefalonia the sea is really gorgeous, but your vacation can reserve you pleasant surprises such as scenic walks in the countryside, visits to particular geological phenomena and the discovery of a long history.

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian islands (Corfu, Paxi, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Ihtaca,
Zakynthos e Kithira) in Greece, with a surface of about 780 skm.
Kefalonia is placed just in front of Corynth gulf entrance, at a distance of 30 km from the west coast of the Peloponnese.
In Kefalonia the coasts are really jagged and there are many gulfs: Sami gulf and Antisamos gulf in the north, Argostoli gulf in the center and Lourdas gulf in the south.
In Kefalonia island there are also two large peninsulas: Paliki and Erissos. Kefalonia is also the most mountainos of the Ionian Islands in Greece with Ainos Mount (Enos 1628 mt), that divides the island in two parts, and in the east area the Mounts Kokkini Rachi, Atros and Merovighli.
The peak of Enos Mount is also a beautiful national park with a local breed of free-range horses and a wonderful place where you can enjoy various excursions.
The island of Kefalonia has many caves, culverts and hot springs.
The winters here are mild and the summers are warm but not muggy.
The Department of Kefalonia includes the neighboring island of ITHACA and several uninhabited islands closer to the mainland Greece.
In the last years the island of Kefalonia has seen a great tourist development and today can offer to the tourists modern structures and different services, while maintaining its traditional style and natural beauty.

HOW TO REACH KEFALONIA

Well connected with Athens by daily flights that take about 1 hour.
Moreover, during the summer, Kefalonia island is directly connected with many European cities by daily charter flights.
Some of the most important companies that work on Kefalonia are Ryan Air, Easy Jet, British Airways, Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, Swissair, KLT, LOT, Malev...
There are also internal flights from Kerfalonia to Zakynthos and Preveza (Lefkada)
with the Sky Express.
Kefalonia airport is 8 km far from Argostoli, which is the capital of the island, and there are buses and taxis that connect them.

There are many companies both Greek and Italian that from Italy can take you to Kefalonia island by ferry boat (Minoan, Hellenic, Anek, Superfast, Blue Star, Ventouris...) with departure from Venezia, Ancona, Bari and Brindisi.
There is a direct route only from Brindisi (Italy) to Sami (Kefalonia) with the Endeavor Lines Company.
With all the other ferry companies you have to reach Patrasso, where you need to change ferry boat to arrive in Kefalonia (Sami), or Igoumenitsa and from there you must go by car to Nidri or Vassiliki or Astakos where to take another ferry to Kefalonia.
There are different ferries connecting Kefalonia to the mainland and precisely to Patras (3 hours) and Killini (1 hour and a half).
Kefalonia is also connected by ferry to other islands: Zakynthos (1 hour), Lefkada (1 hour) and Ithaca (20 minutes).

Kefalonia is connected to Athens by bus (KTEL) every day of the year. The buses depart from Athens and arrive in Patras and Killini.
The ferry-boats leave from these two locations to reach Kefalonia.
The trip Athens-Kefalonia via Patras lasts 6 hours and arrives at Sami while via Killini lasts about 5 hours and arrives at Poros.

For what concerns boats, in addition to good harbors where to leave the boat, it is always possible to rent boats or benefit of the taxi boat service in the main interesting tourist areas, such as Fiskardo. If you rent a boat you can go to visit the island of Ithaca.
The best equipped ports and more suitable for sailing boats are: Argostoli, Poros, Sami, Ag. Efimia, Fiskardo, Lixouri and on the island of Ithaca Vathy and Frikes.
Moreover every hour there is a ferry-boat that connects Argostoli and Lixouri in 30 minutes.

WHEN IS THE RIGHT MOMENT FOR YOU TO COME

May: summer season starts with hot days and fresh evenings.
The island of Kefalonia is still empty with few tourists and it’s the ideal time to find lonely and relaxing beaches. The sea is mostly flat as there aren't strong winds and Kefalonia has a gorgeous nature full of flowers.

June: it starts to be very hot and beaches become the perfect place where to stay all day long. Also the temperature of the sea starts to be perfect and the beaches begin to be filled with tourists. This is the best month to sleep in the night!

July: it’s very hot... but a gentle wind will save you every afternoon.
The tourism start to be massive and people from all the Europe come to Kefalonia island to spend their holidays.
In order to sleep well in the night it would be better to have the air condition.

August: the same hot weather as in July but with more humidity.
In this month you’ll see Kefalonia full of tourists, especially from Italy, who fill beaches during the day and the villages during the night.
The most famous beaches like Myrtos and Antisamos are overcrowded and it is the month with more tourism!
If you want to spend your holiday in Fiskardo or Assos it's better to book your accommodation before.

September: the weather temperature starts to be nice and the beaches which are less crowded are perfect in the midday. There are few rainy days that change into a blue sky with a hot sun. This is a perfect month to relax in contact with nature without mass tourism.

October: there are cooler temperatures but it is still possible to swim without any problems.
The island is a paradise with its countryside that starts to be green again and a mild breeze that makes you want to go hiking.
In the evening, we recommend you to wear a sweater as starts to be cool, especially for outdoor dining.

TEMPERATURES

During summer season, from May till October temperatures can change from 23 till 36 degrees and it doesn’t rain a lot.
Some days there is a light breeze that makes the air cooler; the Maistros is the wind that raises in the afternoon and usually blows from the north to the south of Kefalonia island.
Below the weather situation in real time.

GENERAL INFO ABOUT GREECE

Documents: if you are E. U. citizens no special papers are needed to visit Greece, all the other citizens need their passports and for more information they can contact their embassies or consulates in Greece.

Animals: before being carried to this land they need a health certificate and an antirabic prophylaxis. The certificate should be valid more than 12 months, more than 6 months for cats and it has to be made at least 6 days before arrival.

Health: in Argostoli town you can find the hospital where you can ask for help
showing your sanitary card.
There are many private clinics and doctors who speak English in the city, beyond surgeries and pharmacies in many tourist resorts of the island.

Clothing: only in churches and monasteries proper clothes are required (trousers or long skirts and t-shirts with sleeves).
Some churches supply shawls to the visitor who is not properly dressed just before the visit.

Clock: time in Greece is two hours ahead the Greenwich’s meridian.
Like everywhere in Europe also in Greece, in the Summer season
(March – September) the daylight saving time is effective.
Something curious ... Time in Greece is conceived in a very particular way: here time is not running, there is no such concept of “being on time” and the clock is just something to wear.
The Greeks themselves are aware of taking it easy under every respect (but not in serving the tourist!) up to the point that G.M.T. is not considered as the Greenwich Meridian Time, but as the Greek Maybe Time!

Electricity: outlets in Greece are double and not triple therefore we suggest traveling with an adaptor.

Roads: the island has an efficient road network, with main roads, secondary and no-asphalted ones leading to the most unthinkable places.

Telephone: there are many public telephone boxes from where it is possible to make telephone calls with pre-paid telephone cards that you can buy in every local shop.
It is possible to make national and international telephone calls even from the OTE’s office (Greek Organization of Telecommunications) open from Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 14:00.
In the office there are also some positions for public use.
The telephone code to call in Greece is 0030.

Money: being as well member of the European Community, the currency in Greece is Euro.
The most famous credit cards can be used in Kefalonia to pay accommodation, restaurants, rentals... and the traveler cheques can be changed in every bank or exchange office.
Tips in restaurants are not obligatory, it’s up to you.
Antiques: is strictly forbidden to bring out from Greece any kind of antiques without a proper licence.